Lake Mburo National Park
The smallest park in Uganda and home to zebras, Lake Mburo National Park is an incredible park to visit on a Uganda safari. This park is often includes into an itinerary to break the journey from Bwindi and it tends to over-deliver.
Lake Mburo National Park is located basically equidistant between Bwindi Impenetrable National Park and Entebbe, the woodlands, waters and grasslands make for a perfect break in a road journey either to or from the gorillas. Also, the park makes for a 1 Day Uganda Safari.
Lake Mburo is the smallest park in Uganda located in the Southern Ankole Region halfway between Bwindi and Entebbe/Kampala. It spans 260 square kilometers of lakes, swamps, grassland and acacia woodland. With low hills rising from the lake shore, it is reminiscent of parts of Zululand and Akagera National Park. The underlying Pre-Cambrian bedrock dates back over 500 million years and supports sandy, well-drained soils. The park is situated in the “rain shadow” between Lake Victoria and the Rwenzori Mountains, the park has a relatively low annual rainfall of 800mm, similar to Kidepo Valley National Park.
20% of the park is made up of wetland habitats, a chain of lakes with notably five lakes, the largest of which being Lake Mburo of 13 square kilometers. A side from grasslands, the other main habitat is acacia woodland.
Wildlife in Lake Mburo National Park
Lake Mburo National Park is home to several wildlife species that, although common in other places in Africa, are only found in this park or otherwise rarely within Uganda. The park is the only place you will find impalas and one of the only two places in the country you will find Burchell’s zebra and eland.
There are 68 mammal species including buffaloes, hippos, giraffes, warthogs, zebras and elands. Other common antelope species in the park are topi, common duiker, oribi, Defasa waterbuck, Bohor reedbuck and bushbucks.
The elands are elusive, but present in large numbers are a majestic sight when spotted. Sitatuga reside in the wetland interiors, while klipspringer are seen around rocky outcrops. You will see vervet monkeys and olive baboon, as well as the extremely rare greater galago. Predators are also present in good number, but there is only one lion who is reputed to have entered the park from distant Tanzania. However, spotted hyenas are often seen in large groups and leopards are increasingly visible.
Birdlife in Lake Mburo National Park
Lake Mburo National Park is home to 315 bird species recorded to date, the swamps and the acacia forests are the habitats with the greatest diversity. The red –faced barbet is only seen in Lake Mburo; the endemic African Finfoot is a popular sighting, and the swamps are home to six papyrus endemics.
Other birds found in Lake Mburo National Park include African grey hornbill, barefaced go-way bird, black-billed barbet, blue-napped mousebird, brown parrot, common quails, crested francolin, emerald spotted wood Dove, greenwood hoopoe, Lilac-breasted Roller, Nubian woodpecker, Rednecked Spur, trilling cisticola, white-winged warbler, the Shoebill stork, African-wattled plover Rufous, Black Bellied Bustard, Coqui francolin, Flappet larks, red-necked spur fowl, Rufuos chested Swallow, southern Red Bishop, temminck’s courser and yellow-throated long claw among others.
Things to do at Lake Mburo National Park
Game Drives
Lake Mburo National Park has a network of game drive tracks and its densities of wildlife vary depending on the time of year, also the lack of elephants allow thick scrub to grow where there were grassy plains.
Game drives in Lake Mburo National Park offers a great chance to see several animals including impala, zebras, waterbuck, topi and buffalos. The re-introduced giraffes are commonly seen from the Kazuma and Ruroko tracks, as well as the shy elands.
Now it is possible to do a night game drive in Lake Mburo National Park, the experience takes two to three hours and normally starts about 6:30 pm and are a wonderful way to see nocturnal animals like bush babies and potto, plus leopard and hyena at their most active time.
Walking Safari
Lake Mburo National Park is one of the few places in Uganda where walking safaris are offered, explore the park on foot led by an armed guide. Our favorite trails are the salt at Rwonyo, the lake shorelines, Rubanga Forest and viewpoint hill tops.
Guided walks are the most exciting way to discover the park as visibility is often restricted by the undergrowth and it is difficult to see buffaloes holding their ground and hyenas loping back to their dens after a night on the prowl.
Walking safari in Lake Mburo National Park is also the best way for birders to track down the more elusive species.
Boat Safari
Take part in a peaceful way of exploring the marine wildlife and birds of Lake Mburo National Park on a boat safari on Lake Mburo, the experience lasts 90 minutes offering sightings of crocodiles, buffaloes, hippos, kingfishers, fish eagles, and hammer kops.
The boat safari in Lake Mburo National Park starts at 8 am and departs every two hours until 4 pm.
Birding
Lake Mburo National Park is listed among the Important Birding Areas in Uganda, the acacia woodland and wetlands of Mburo makes it a haven for birders. Birding can be done in a vehicle, on foot or by the viewing platforms constructed within the forest and by salt licks.
The swampy valley of Waruli and Miriti, plus the roadsides approaching the jetty provide the best birding spots. Bird species seen on birding safari in Lake Mburo National Park include African grey hornbill, barefaced go-way bird, black-billed barbet, blue-napped mousebird, brown parrot, common quails, crested francolin, emerald spotted wood Dove, greenwood hoopoe, Lilac-breasted Roller, Nubian woodpecker, Rednecked Spur, trilling cisticola, white-winged warbler among others.
Horse Riding
Lake Mburo National Park is the only place in Uganda where you can ride horses in a national park, operated by Mihingo Lodge stables with all abilities and ages catered for.
While on the back of a horse, you get a closer encounter with several wildlife species including buffaloes and zebras. The rides last for four hours and often include hill-top sundowners or bush breakfast.
When to visit Lake Mburo National Park
The best time for general wildlife viewing in Lake Mburo National Park is the dry seasons from June to August and December to January. However, Lake Mburo National Park is amazing to visit all year round, even in the wetter season from March to May and September to November.
Where to stay in Lake Mburo National Park
There are beautiful safari lodges and camps in Lake Mburo National Park open for visitors, these range from budget, midrange to luxury and they include
· Rwakobo Rock
· Lake Mburo Camp
· Mihingo Lodge
Getting to Lake Mburo National Park
Lake Mburo National Park is located between Mbarara and Kampala, making it very accessible from both places. From Kampala City, it takes about 4 hours of driving to reach the park headquarters. At about 211 kilometers from Kampala on Kampala – Mbarara Highway, there is a signpost indicating a right turn can be seen when you reach Sanga. From Sanga, the distance is 12 kilometers to the Rweshsbeshebe Gate of the Park.
